I see commercials for home alarm systems all the time, and there’s something that’s always bothered me about them… What if the burglar breaks in anyway? Sure, most criminals flee when they hear an alarm, but not all of them, and it takes police an average of 7 minutes to respond–more than enough time for someone to steal valuables or hurt your family.

This is why in addition to getting a security system, you should make sure your home is too difficult to break into in the first place. To do that, you’ll need to install better locks and reinforce your doors, among other things. The following article lists 17 ways to make your home more secure and protect your loved ones.

Grace writes, “Every 13 seconds, a home burglary is committed in the U.S., which is why keeping your house safe is a totally legitimate thing to worry about. What’s more, 85% of break-ins are by nonprofessionals, which means they are desperate and dangerous. In other words, it’s not crazy to want to take every step possible to make your home as secure as possible.” Follow the link below to keep reading.